Sports training apparatus

ABSTRACT

A sports training apparatus comprising a tethering line  10  at one end being connected to ball retaining means  14,  and at an opposite end being adapted to detachably anchor to a person  12.  The ball retaining means  14  is adapted to fit about a ball  16.  The ball retaining means  14  also includes adjustment means which is configured to permit releasable retention of one of differently sized balls.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates broadly to a sports training apparatus and relates particularly to a ball retaining means of such an apparatus.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The patent literature includes a large number of published specifications disclosing various arrangements of a sports ball tethered to a person via an elastic cord. The sports ball may be either:

-   (i) modified to include a ring for attachment to the elastic cord,     for example WO 94/09862 by Webb; or -   (ii) located within a net which is connected to the elastic cord,     for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,462 by Doyle et al, WO 96/01669 by     Hauter, or WO 99/13951 by James.

The sporting apparatus of WO 99/13951 is relatively complicated in its preferred embodiment including a net in the form of a bag connected to a braided elastic ribbon which in turn is connected to a wrist strap. The bag has a mouth together with a drawstring through which a ball is inserted and thereafter the drawstring effects tight closure of the mouth to prevent the ball from falling out. The apparatus includes a swivel arrangement which interconnects the elastic ribbon and the ball to prevent entanglement. The sporting apparatus of WO 99/13951 suffers from at least the following drawbacks:

-   (i) the net does not snugly contour to the shape of the ball and is     prone to snagging or entangling a person's fingers and inhibits     gripping of the ball in catching and throwing; -   (ii) the apparatus is unnecessarily complicated including the swivel     and multi-part wrist strap arrangements; and -   (iii) the wrist strap is relatively heavy and complicated in     construction and requires a high degree of skill and another     person's assistance in fitting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided ball retaining means of a sports training apparatus including a tethering line at one end anchored to a person, the ball retaining means being adapted to releasably retain one of differently sized balls and connect at or adjacent an opposite end of the tethering line, and comprising adjustment means configured to permit retention of said one of the differently sized balls within the retaining means.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a sports training apparatus comprising:

-   a tethering line at one end being adapted to detachably anchor to a     person; and -   ball retaining means connected at or adjacent an opposite end of the     tethering line, and including adjustment means being configured to     permit releasable retention of one of differently sized balls.

Preferably the ball retaining means includes a mounting member connected to said opposite end of the tethering line and having a cavity shaped complementary to a portion of the ball. More preferably the mounting member is fabricated of a resiliently flexible material which deforms so as to contour to said portion of the ball.

Preferably said adjustment means includes an elastic strap or membrane which is constructed of a continuous skin and is designed to detachably attach to the mounting member and wrap about and thus rigidly retain the ball within the retaining means. More preferably the elastic strap or membrane includes fastening means such as VELCRO which releasably attaches to the mounting member at a variable position depending on the size of the ball.

Preferably the tethering line is at least in part fabricated of an elastic material which serves to draw the ball back toward the person from whom it is propelled. More preferably the ball is propelled away from the person by passing, throwing or kicking. Even more preferably the tethering line is selected from different fixed lengths to accommodate the requirements of junior, teenager and senior users.

Preferably the sports training apparatus also comprises attachment means being adapted to releasably attach to the person and provide anchoring for said one end of the tethering line. More preferably said attachment means is in the form of an wrist, ankle or waist band or belt worn by the person. Even more preferably the wrist band is fabricated in different sizes to allow for the requirements of both junior and senior users.

Preferably the ball retaining means is of a two-piece construction including the mounting member and the elastic strap or membrane, respectively.

Preferably the ball retaining means is fabricated of predominantly a non-slip material such as a rubber or elastomeric material. More preferably the non-slip material is on at least its exposed surfaces coloured fluorescent or illuminescent for improved visibility particularly at night. The retaining means may also be distinctively branded, for example in sporting club colours.

Generally the ball is a rugby or gridiron ball.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In order to facilitate a better understanding of the nature of the present invention a preferred embodiment of a sports training apparatus and in particular a ball retaining means will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a player together with a tethering line and ball retaining means arranged in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the ball retaining means together with the ball of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ball retaining means of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIG. 1 there is a sports training apparatus comprising a tethering line 10 at one end being detachably anchored to a person or player 12, and ball retaining means designated generally as 14 connected at an opposite end of the tethering line 10. The ball retaining means is designed to releasably retain a selected one of differently sized balls such as 16. The tethering line 10 is in this example anchored to the player 12 via attachment means in the form of a wrist strap 18. The tethering line 10 is fabricated of an elastic cord.

As is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the ball retaining means 14 includes a mounting member 20 and adjustment means including an elastic strap or membrane 22. The mounting member 20 is in this embodiment generally dome-shaped having a cavity 24 shaped complementary to in this case an end portion of the football 16. The mounting member 20 is fabricated of a resiliently flexible material such as a neoprene material which deforms so as to contour to the end portion of the ball 16. The tethering line or elastic cord 10 is fixed to an apex of the dome-shaped mounting member 20.

The adjustment means or elastic strap 22 is at opposing ends 23A and 23B, respectively, designed to releasably fasten to the mounting member 20 via fastening means which in this embodiment is in the form of VELCRO 28A and 30A, respectively. The dome-shaped mounting member 20 includes corresponding and inter-engaging VELCRO surfaces such as 28B and 30B for variable fastening of the elastic strap or membrane 22. In this embodiment the opposing ends 23A/B of the elastic strap 22 are shaped triangular to substantially cover the dome-shaped mounting member 20. This results in increased grip and “feel” around the ball 16 with a relatively smooth and comfortable catching surface for the user.

The elastic strap or membrane 22 is constructed of a continuous skin and is designed to wrap about the football 16. The continuous skin is constructed of a rubber or elastomeric material which contours to the shape of the football 16 and rigidly retains the ball 16. The variable adjustment of the fastening means together with the elastic strap or membrane 22 allows the ball retaining means to be fitted to a variety of differently sized and shaped balls. For example, it is expected that the ball retaining means of this embodiment can be fitted to a rugby union or rugby league ball, or an Australian rules football. Within each of these “codes” there may also be a differently sized balls. For example, in rugby league there are “mini” balls for the juniors, “mod” balls for the teenagers, and “max” balls for the seniors as well as training balls which are the same size as “max” balls except heavier.

The ball retaining means is thus of a two-piece construction including the mounting member 20 and the elastic strap or membrane 22, respectively. These components are advantageously fabricated of a non-slip material which may be gripped with ease and in contouring to the shape of the football retains the natural feel of the ball itself. The ball retaining means may also on its exposes surfaces be coloured fluorescent or luminescent for improved visibility at night and may be distinctively branded with sporting club colours.

The neoprene strap 22 of this embodiment is relatively waterproof and can be used for training in wet and slippery conditions which are generally characteristic of winter sports such as the football codes. The waterproof strap or membrane 22 also inhibits dew from the grass, which normally makes a ball slippery, from accumulating on the surface of the ball 16. The neoprane strap 22 provides a spongy surface for gripping and improves the users development of passing, throwing and catching.

The sports training apparatus of the embodiment encourages the development of ball handing skills and for example can be used as a means of rehabilitation whilst recovering from injury. The apparatus also encourages the development of:

-   (i) correct placement of the legs and feet whilst passing or     throwing the ball; -   (ii) correct positioning of the torso for passing, throwing and     catching the ball; and -   (iii) correct placement of the fingers, hands and arms when passing,     throwing and catching the ball.

The general steps involved in playing with the sports training apparatus are as follows:

-   (i) the ball 16 is fitted within the ball retaining means as best     illustrated in FIG. 2; -   (ii) the wrist strap or band 18 is attached to the person or     player's 12 wrist as illustrated in FIG. 1; and -   (iii) the ball 16 is passed by the player 12 and the tethering line     or elastic cord 10 returns the ball 16 toward the player 12.

Now that a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in some detail it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the sports training apparatus has at least the following advantages over the admitted prior art:

-   (i) the ball retaining means can be snugly fitted to a variety of     differently shaped and/or sized balls; -   (ii) the ball retaining means being of a continuous membrane     contours to the shape of the ball and is relatively unobstructed for     a person catching and passing the ball; and -   (iii) the ball retaining means and sports training apparatus can be     appropriately coloured and branded for visibility and association     with a sporting club.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. For example, the specific configuration and materials of construction for the retaining means may vary provided it has adequate adjustment for retention of a variety of differently sized balls. The two-piece construction of the preferred embodiment may be replaced with a one-piece construction of for example a rubber skin which fits about the ball.

All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.

It is to be understood that an acknowledgment of prior art in the patent specification is not an admission that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in the relevant art. 

1. Ball retaining means of a sports training apparatus including a tethering line at one end anchored to a person, the ball retaining means being adapted to releasably retain one of differently sized balls and connect at or adjacent an opposite end of the tethering line, and comprising adjustment means configured to permit retention of said one of the differently sized balls within the retaining means.
 2. A sports training apparatus comprising: a tethering line at one end being adapted to detachably anchor to a person; and ball retaining means connected at or adjacent an opposite end of the tethering line, and including adjustment means being configured to permit releasable retention of one of differently sized balls.
 3. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ball retaining means includes a mounting member connected to said opposite end of the tethering line and having a cavity shaped complementary to a portion of the ball.
 4. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mounting member is fabricated of a resiliently flexible material which deforms so as to contour to said portion of the ball.
 5. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said adjustment means includes an elastic strap or membrane which is constructed of a continuous skin and is designed to detachably attach to the mounting member and wrap about and thus rigidly retain the ball within the retaining means.
 6. Ball retaining means or sports training apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the elastic strap or membrane includes fastening means which releasably attaches to the mounting member at a variable position depending on the size of the ball.
 7. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed claim 1, wherein the tethering line is at least in part fabricated of an elastic material which serves to draw the ball back toward the person from whom it is propelled.
 8. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed claim 1, wherein the ball is propelled away from the person by passing, throwing or kicking.
 9. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed claim 1, wherein the tethering line is selected from different fixed lengths to accommodate the requirements of junior, teenager and senior users.
 10. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed claim 1 also comprising attachment means being adapted to releasably attach to the person and provide anchoring for said one end of the tethering line.
 11. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said attachment means is in the form of an wrist, ankle or waist band or belt worn by the person.
 12. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the wrist band is fabricated in different sizes to allow for the requirements of both junior and senior users.
 13. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the ball retaining means is of a two-piece construction including the mounting member and the elastic strap or membrane, respectively.
 14. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed claim 1, wherein the ball retaining means is fabricated of predominantly a non-slip material such as a rubber or elastomeric material.
 15. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the non-slip material is on at least its exposed surfaces colored fluorescent or illuminescent for improved visibility particularly at night.
 16. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed claim 1, wherein the ball retaining means is distinctively branded.
 17. Ball retaining means or a sports training apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ball is a rugby or gridiron ball.
 18. (canceled) 